Niners Come Away Empty-Handed in New Orleans

After losing to the Carolina Panthers a week ago, the San Francisco 49ers kept hearing they needed to make a statement. Analysts and critics from coast to coast were saying that San Francisco was 6-3, but it needed to finally beat one of the NFL's better teams to prove it still belonged among the league's elite.Sunday at the raucous Superdome in New Orleans, that elusive victory was within their reach, but it slipped away, thanks to a fourth-quarter ruling by the officials that swung the game's momentum to the Saints.Up 20-14 over the Saints early in the fourth quarter, the Niners offense couldn't generate enough offense to take the pressure off the defense – which had been terrific – and New Orleans fought back to take a 23-20 victory on Garrett Hartley's 31-yard field goal on the last play of the game.The loss drops the 49ers to 6-4, far behind the 10-1 Seahawks in the NFC West, and into a second-place tie in the division with the Arizona Cardinals.The loss swung the Saints' way on a crucial call with 3:18 remaining in the game.With the 49ers still leading 20-17, Saints quarterback Drew Brees was sacked by Ahmad Brooks and fumbled, with the ball recovered by Patrick...

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